Lights or No Lights?

So, after a discussion on lighting, I want to know: do you use red/purple/white lights to light/heat your snakes?

I personally prefer not use lights at all, and allow the natural cycle of the sunlight in the room to power my snakes' cycles. With the exception of Draco, of course as garters LOVE light and he's no exception. This all started when I first moved Cloud, the boa, into his 6ft enclosure. This was last summer, in June. I was using red lights at night so I could study their behavior, before I learned that boas could see red light. He spent 24/7 in his water dish for 5 days. No, the lights were not in his enclosure so they did not affect his enclosure temps. I had an LED light in one enclosure and a fluroescent in the other, so no need for light bulbs. Because of some wiring problems, I could not plug the lights in (I broke a surge protector and tripped the breaker multiple times trying) so I used a desk lamp a few feet away to shine light into my boa's enclosure. I read a user on another forum's thread where she had completely stopped using lights and noticed a lot of increased nighttime activity in her snakes. I decided, why not? That very very same night he left his water dish and explored his enclosure top to bottom. If he had ever left before that, I would have known as I had 3 inches of EcoEarth and his trail would be very noticeable. He did not return to his dish until he shed, and that is a trend that has continued.

I thought, hmm, maybe ball pythons couldn't (with a slight bit of skepticism) and I went back to using a red light to heat my bp when I moved here. He does not really explore, but he does still change hides and get a sip of water every once in awhile. Where the red light had no bearing on his nighttime activity or eating schedule before, it now does. I even did a simple test to see if he could indeed see it. I had the red light turned off and Bud out. I held the lamp some feet away and did not shine it directly in his eyes. I turned it on without moving any part of my body or the lamp, just my finger to push the switch. As soon as it came on, he flinched. He could see it. So now, I will never use red lights for any snake, and white bulbs only for diurnal reptiles, and Bud will be getting a lightless, low-wattage CHE bulb instead. Once I have the room to house his 6ft enclosure, he will be returned to it, but I don't have the room for it yet.

No lights for heat. I have a lamp in the snake room I'll flip on during the day, or open the blinds, then lights out around 8-9pm...

My experience is with Ball Pythons only, but I don't use any lights. I do have a red lens flash light that I use to investigate any extra loud bumps in the night. It seems to cause less alarm than a white light...both with me and the snakes.

I have ultra violate (purplish) lights on 2 of my 3 snake cages and have seen no effect on their behaviors. This is an interesting topic for me, as I"ve never heard that snakes can see the ultra violate spectrum or "red" lights. Definitely an interesting topic. I may have to switch to ceramic heat emitters on my other tanks if it does effect them.

I have white fluorescent lights for viewing, and to slightly boost my air temps in my cage. They also provide some UVA which is said to be beneficial, though I haven't observed any noticeable difference.

I run red heat lamps at night in my tanks for the colubrids to help keep them warm, as the house temp does drop at night enough to where they need it. The BP racks and boa enclosures retain heat well enough they don't need any lights.

We have ball pythons, BRB, carpet, and a hognose. We dont use anything but narural sunlight that comes through the window. Everything is heated by heat tape and a oil filled heated for ambient temps.

I only use a light on my bci's tank. I use a red uv light and i use it to keep ambient temps up at night because my room gets a little nippy at night. I dont use any lights on any of my other snakes

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During the day I use a white, basking bulb to provide heat for my BP. At night, I switch to an purple "night-time" bulb.

However, since I joined the forum I have noticed that a good amount of the members here choose heat mats and/or CHE. Since my BP is fairly close to a window, she does get a decent amount of light from that source so I will probably decide to use a CHE in the near future.

White basking lights for the colubrids.

Red lights for the BPs in the winter to raise ambients. No lights in spring/summer.

This will change to flos when I get my PVC cages and use RHPs for heat.